For business schools and technical schools, externships are a way to offer real-world job experiences

Learning how to take someone’s blood pressure in the classroom is one thing, but actually trying it on a real patient is another. Classroom learning provides an excellent foundation in the concepts and skills you will need in your new career field, but when it comes time to find a job, sometimes students may still feel nervous about entering the real world of work.

That’s why Harris School of Business, and other business schools and technical schools in the region, believe that externships are an excellent opportunity for students to put their classroom skills to work in a real world setting before they actually enter the job market.

How do externships work? Externships are similar to real jobs, in that students are expected to show up at the appointed times, complete their tasks and responsibilities, act professionally, and take their jobs seriously. But at the same time, there is supervision, so that the student is supported as he or she is implementing the skills learned in the classroom.

At Harris, our Externship Coordinators help students get placed in externship positions by cultivating relationships with area organizations and employers. The coordinators work with students and site contacts to help ensure that the externships go smoothly.

Through placements in local medical and dental facilities, students get the hands-on experience they need before graduation and before they start looking for a job. Externships are also a great opportunity for networking. Students meet people who actually work in their new career field, and can begin to develop a network that can be useful in the job hunt, and for years to come as their careers develop. With hands-on experience and the chance to start networking, students begin their job searches with more skills, knowledge, and confidence.

If you are interested in learning more about the programs at the Upper Darby campus of the Harris School of Business, or any of our seven locations throughout the Philadelphia region, South Jersey, and Delaware, contact us today at 1.800.510-7920. It’s easy! The path toward your new career might be waiting for you at Harris!